Exe Street residents 'petrified' by nuisance neighbour

A WOMAN is facing eviction from her home after police and council officials say she has persistently blighted the lives of "petrified" city residents.

Officers say those living near the property in Exe Street, St David's, have suffered months of anti-social behaviour at the hands of Karen Walton and her 22-year-old son Robert.

Police issued a closure notice at the property, banning anyone from entering the flat apart from Mrs Walton and her son.

The house could be closed for three months, boarded up and the Waltons removed from the property altogether if a police application to Exeter Magistrates' Court next week is successful.

Police say neighbours have been forced to put up with numerous incidents of "shouting, swearing, fighting and other noise complaints".

One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Echo: "We have had to endure thumping music day and night, screaming, shouting and fighting – it has been a total nightmare.

"It has been like this since they moved here in May.

"The only way I can describe it is that I used to love my life, I loved my home and now I won't come home unless I have someone with me because I am afraid. We just want to live in peace.

"If I had the possibility of moving I would, but that is not possible. We are stuck. I'm strong about it one minute and petrified the next."

Another resident, who also asked not to be named, told the Echo: "I just want them to be moved away. I just want Exe Street to go back to what it was. It goes beyond what you can accept as a neighbour."

Exeter City Council said it is seeking possession of the property after "continued breaches of her tenancy agreement".

Mrs Walton was sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for 12 months, for breaching an anti-social behaviour injunction against her – action brought at Exeter County Court last week by the city council.

Mrs Walton and her son Robert appeared before Exeter Magistrates' Court this week for a hearing of the police's application for a closure order.

Representing Devon and Cornwall Police, solicitor Chris Rendell told the court: "This is an application under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003. The background to this is that there was a closure notice served on the property that took place on Sunday.

"The effect of the closure notice is to prohibit entrance to the property by everyone other than the two respondents to this application.

"If the closure order is wholly made on the property, the effect would be to board up the premises completely prohibiting entrance to everyone. Nobody could go in that property.

"This could last up to three months and potentially it could be extended up to six months."

The application hearing was adjourned until Wednesday, October 31, to enable the Waltons to apply for legal aid.

Magistrates extended the closure notice, which prohibits anyone except Mrs Walton and her son Robert entering the property, until the next court hearing.

PC Chris Liesk, neighbourhood beat manager for St David's, told the Echo that their action was to "protect" neighbours from further anti-social behaviour.

He said: "Police served a closure notice on the property in question in Exe Street on Sunday evening after receiving many complaints from the community about anti-social behaviour in the area.

"Incidents of shouting, swearing, fighting and other noise complaints had been reported to the police and the action taken was to protect the residents from suffering further anti-social behaviour until the matter is resolved."

A spokesman for Exeter City Council said: "The police are applying for a closure order. If this is successful no one would be permitted to access the property for up to three months.

"We are currently undertaking possession proceedings against Mrs Walton for continued breaches of her tenancy agreement.

"Last week, we were in court as a result of a breach of the injunction that we also have in place, which requires Ms Walton to abide by the terms of her tenancy agreement.

Comments

@ Stuboy13
I commented on the things I could understand at the time.
If I had read the entire comment before commenting, I would be in no fit state to string a sentance together !! :)
I'm looking forward to a reply from @ nonuffin to be honest.

nonuffin when I first read your comment... Village and idiot crossed my mind!!
I worry about the people that have to live anywhere near you.
You come across as someone who has absolutely no idea what you are even commenting on, let alone a stupid comment like "kick someone while they're down" ? Get a grip !!
Do you not realise or even care about the people who have had to suffer for months from actions of 1 dysfunctional family ?
Just a suggestion for you.... Maybe you should wind your neck in a bit and stop being so concerned about the people who have inflicted endless days and nights of grief on the family's around them!! Spare a thought for the ones that work, relax and live a normal life and have to live next to someone who makes your life a living hell !!
On that note, I hope they do get evicted, and lets help the ones (who have been kicked repeatedly while down at the hands of an inconsiderate family) back up again instead of giving a thought to the ones that put them down in the first place !!

another cheap shot by echo , countless times we read your half baked stories slaughtering some one , how many times you printed a 1st day report from the courts with prosecution evidence slaugtering some one for the story dissapear and no mention of a eventual not guilty verdict .... go search that out ......hope this reporter has down word spiral in life and lives regret this story ...if some one has proplems shoving there face in dirt helps no one ....dont know person .... but story is complete tosh , no not facts maybe , fact you can kick some one when down ...... we ll be hearing multi agency co operation works ,,, lol .......only when it suits em ......part time journalist gets scoop ..wow ......hope you have sleepless nights .

Wow, someone has actually grown a set from the sound of it and about time too. My neighbor was moved out of that very area because it was easier to relocate her, than evict the rubbish who were causing the problems.

What a fantastic result brought about by Exeter City Council and the St David's Neighbourhood Policing Team !
A big well done to both and in particular to Chris Leisk and the team for making St David's a much nicer, safer place to live.